Month: May 2014

The rain finally stops, and I’m able to dry out the basement. I have to remove the solid wood laundry room door which got water logged and started to split. I also decided to remove large amounts of carpeting and padding since it would all need to be replaced anyway, thanks to the Great Stuff accident. 

It has been one year since I purchased the house. At present:

• I believe the structural concerns have been addressed.
• I believe the concrete and carpentry work is 50% finished.
• I believe the electrical work is 90% finished.
• I believe the plumbing work is 90% finished. I have not been billed for labor, yet.
• I believe the HVAC work is 80% finished.
• 50% of my square footage is still unusable, including the master bedroom, closet, bathroom, rec room, and dining room.
• I have spent $14,701.85 so far to correct hidden code violations, $10,000 of which is on a credit card.
• I have spent $1,571.84 to make planned improvements and upgrades to the house.
• I have spent $1,141.17 compensating for incidental emergencies.
• A criminal investigation is still in progress by Anoka County.

I am extremely grateful to my friends, family, and strangers alike who have helped me do salvage work, keep my spirits up, and continue stand with me as I fight predatory remodeling.

An engineer I trust analyzes my flooding problem, and reports that while there are many types of concrete, the product used to re-pour my basement floor is still a good fit. However, the self-leveling concrete was improperly installed, suffered damage in the flood, and will need to be removed. I start looking for concrete experts to properly level and swale the floor before construction continues.

The engineer also suggests that I hire a contractor to install drain tile.